Firearm magazine with two oppositely disposed feed ends



Nov. 12, 1963 D. D. MUSGRAVE 3,110,122

FIREARM MAGAZINE WITH TWO OPPOSITELY DISPOSED FEED ENDS Filed Nov. 5, 1961 United States Patent O 3,110,122 FIREARM MAGAZINE WITH TWO OPPOSITELY DISPOSED FEED ENDS Daniel D. Musgrave, 8201 Caraway St., Cabin John, Md. Filed Nov. 3, 1961, Ser. No. 150,043 4 Claims. (Cl. 42-50) This invention relates to cartridge magazines for firearms, particularly those of the box type. In the specification, several existing weapons and their detachable magazines will be discussed to show the scope of utility of the invention but it is not intended to limit the disclosure thereby.

All modern armies employ as their individual Weapon, the generic type known as the assault rifle. In combat, assault rifles normally fire semi-automatically, with aiming for each shot. A selective fire capability is another feature of the'assault rifle, so that in an emergency, full automatic fire can be delivered. To use the full automatic feature to best advantage, a large-capacity, detachable magazine is applied to all weapons in this class.

In an effort to simplify logistic support, the nations of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization have agreed on a common small-arms ammunition design known as the 7.62 mm. NATO cartridge. (It is also used by some nations which are not part of NATO.) This common round is a progressive step in that any rifle made with the NATO chamber profile will accept similar ammunition from all sources. The military advantage of interchangeability is obvious.

The common round of ammunition is employed in several distinct designs of assault rifles, each of which has its own magazine design. Although ammunition can be interchanged, magazines cannot, due to physical diifer ences. In combat operations magazines are considered expendible and the ammunition supply will be accompanied by a supply of magazines. If more than one design of rifle is present in the force being supplied, it will be necessary to stock magazines compatible with each rifle design. The non-interchangeability of magazines oifsets a considerable part of the gain achieved by use of the common round.

In consideration of the foregoing, the principal object of this invention is to provide a magazine which will be compatible with more than one design of firearms.

A further object of the invention is to provide a magazine which will not require adjustment or modification when used with either of two dissimilar firearms.

These and other objects of the present invention will become more apparent upon reference to the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation, partly sectioned, of a cartridge magazine incorporating the principle of this invention.

FIGURE 2 is a top view of the magazine shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a partly sectioned view of the right side of the magazine shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a bottom view of the magazine shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the upper portion of the magazine case shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of the follower shown in the top portion of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of the follower shown in the bottom portion of FIGURE 1.

Referring to the drawings there is shown in FIGURES l and 2, a cartridge magazine having a case 8 constructed of sheet metal or any suitable material. Case 8 has typical stiffening and cartridge guiding ribs 10 and 12 in its 3,1 10,122 Patented Nov. 12, 1963 sidewalls. It also has feed ports 14 and 16 which are best seen in FIGURE 3.

The sides of feed port 14 are curved inwardly to form feed lips 18 and 20 and the sides of feed port 16 are curved inwardly to form feed lips 22 and 24.

Near the front of the feed ports are located typical guides to assist in aligning cartridges with the chamber of the firearm during ramming. Guides 13 are shown associated with feed port 14 and guides 15 are shown associated with feed port 16. Other forms of guides as disclosed in prior art could also be employed and the particular shapes shown are not limiting.

In the upper portion of case 8 is disposed follower 26 having a cartridge aligning rib 28 and ears 30 to limit follower travel toward port 14. It also has a telltale 32 which cooperates with suitable devices in the weapon (not shown) to notify the operator when the magazine is empty.

On the front of case 8 is formed detent 34 and on the rear of the case is formed detent 36. The detents are for the purpose of holding the case in the firearm magazine housing in the well known manner.

It will be recognized by those skilled in the art that the detents, feed lips, feed port, follower, and general configuration of the upper portion of case 8 are similar to the corresponding details of the magazine of the wellknown FN assault rifle, which is used in the Royal Canadian Army, the British Army, the Belgian Army, the Israel Army and several others, including the revolutionary army of Cuba.

In the lower portion of case 8 is disposed follower 38 which has a cartridge aligning rib 40 and a tank 42. It also has clearance notches 44 to prevent interference with ribs 12 and with a detent member in the firearm (not shown) which engages in hole 46 when case 8 is attached to the firearm. Securely aflixed to the rear of case 8, as by welding, is lug 48, which cooperates with a spring loaded latch in the firearm (not shown) to hold the magazine in position in the weapon. Within case 8, a typical wire coil compression spring 50 is disposed to act against followers 26 and 38 in the well-known manner.

It will be recognized by those skilled in the art that the attaching means, feed lips, feed port, follower, and general configuration of the lower portion of case 8 are similar to the corresponding details of the magazine of the well-known M14 rifle, which is now standard in the Army of the United States. The cross sectional shape and dimensions of the M14 and EN magazines are sufficiently close to each other to permit using their feed ends on a common case as shown.

This invention is not limited to any particular weapon or pair of weapons. Examples other than those discussed above can be given:

The Spanish CETME and the Armalite AR-lO assault rifles employ magazines which are not interchangeable but have similar cross-sections. The German CETME magazine, being a modification of that used with the United States rifle M14, the two can readily be paired together according to the principle of this invention.

The Madsen and Beretta sub-machine gun magazines are similarly related.

The Stoner 63 and Armalite AR-lS light rifles use common ammunition but employ different magazines.

This invention could also be applied to the US. M3 and Thompson sub-machine gun magazines.

The above list is not exhaustive, nor should it be considered limiting.

Operation.This invention is used in the same way as the typical magazines now in use for assault rifles, with the exception of course, that only one. of the two feed ends is used at a time. The magazine is loaded by pressing cartridges into case 3 through either feed port 14 or 3 feed port 16. When feeding, cartridges are stripped out of the feed port by a component of the weapon (not shown), and either follower 26 or 38 advances the remaining cartridges to the appropriate feed lips by the action of spring 50.

What I claim is:

1. A magazine for a firearm comprising: a case for storing cartridges having two substantially oppositely disposed feed ends each consisting of a pair of feed lips, a pair of guides, attaching means positionally disposed relative to each of said feed ends for afiixing said case to a firearm and an exit port between each of said pairs of lips; two oppositely disposed followers adapted for engaging said cartridges; and a spring disposed to engage and react against said followers; whereby each of said followers can exert pressure to move said cartridges toward one of said feed ends.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 and further characterized by each of said pairs of feed lips being dissimilar from the other said pair of feed lips.

3. The combination set forth in claim 1 and further characterized by each of said attaching means position- A3. ally disposed relative to each of said feed ends for affixing said case to a firearm being dissimilar from the other said attaching means.

4. The combination set forth in claim 1 and further characterized by each of said followers being dissimilar from the other said follower.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,804,511 Pedersen May 12, 1931 1,821,526 Pedersen Sept. 1, 1931 2,081,235 Hillyard May 25, 1937 2,483,837 Nettles Oct. 4, 1949 2,488,233 Pelo Nov. 15, 1949 2,715,789 Garand Aug. 23, 1955 2,735,206 Butler et al. Feb. 21, 1956 2,895,248 Sawin July 21, 1959 2,903,809 Stoner Sept. 15, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 367,824 Germany Jan. 27, 1923 573,434 Great Britain Nov. 21, 1945 

1. A MAGAZINE FOR A FIREARM COMPRISING: A CASE FOR STORING CARTRIDGES HAVING TWO SUBSTANTIALLY OPPOSITELY DISPOSED FEED ENDS EACH CONSISTING OF A PAIR OF FEED LIPS, A PAIR OF GUIDES, ATTACHING MEANS POSITIONALLY DISPOSED RELATIVE TO EACH OF SAID FEED ENDS FOR AFFIXING SAID CASE TO A FIREARM AND AN EXIT PORT BETWEEN EACH OF SAID PAIRS OF LIPS; TWO OPPOSITELY DISPOSED FOLLOWERS ADAPTED FOR ENGAGING SAID CARTRIDGES; AND A SPRING DISPOSED TO ENGAGE AND REACT AGAINST SAID FOLLOWERS; WHEREBY EACH OF SAID FOLLOWERS CAN EXERT PRESSURE TO MOVE SAID CARTRIDGES TOWARD ONE OF SAID FEED ENDS. 